Rail vehicle with plural-axle



Aug. 25, 19.53 G. BORGEAUD ET-AL 2,649,743

RAIL VEHICLE WITH PLURAL-AXLE Filed Feb. e, 1951 l 2 sheets-sheet 1 Aug. 25, 1953 G. BORGEAUD ETAL RAIL VEHICLE WITH PLURAL-AXLE zsheets-sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1951 /Nvfwmeffl Patented ug. 25S, 1953 2,649,743 YRAIL VEHICLE WITH PLURAL-AXLE Gaston Borgeaud and Jakob Waldvogel, Winterthur, Switzerland, assignors to Schweizerische Lokomotivund Maschinenfabrik, Winterthur,

. Switzerland Application February 6, 1951, Serial No. 209,575 In Switzerland February 8, 1950 9 Claims.

Our present invention relates to arrail vehicle with Vtwo plural-axle bogies, the said bogies being of the type comprising a transversely oscillatable bolster structure which supports the vehicle body and in turn is suspended from the bogie frame through hangers. The said bolster structure leaves room on the bogie center portion for accommodating other structural elements such as a wheel set involving a drive motor. In such bogies, the traction and braking forces are transmitted through special followers, e. g. pins, which are independent of said bolster structure, and the vehicle body generally is freely movable vertically with respect to the bogie frame and within the range defined by the play of the bolster springs.

It is known in such bogies to provide. links as followers which connect the body traverses provided fore and aft of the center wheel-set to a pin affixed to the bogie center portion. Such a solution is quite satisfactory from the point of view of operation, but has the disadvantage that the center space which is left free by the bolster structure, is occupied, partly at least, by said links. A further disadvantage of such known construction is that the links have to be yremoved in order to permit the removal of the structural elements disposed at the bogie center,

such as wheel sets, motors or other parts of the equipment, for inspection or other purposes.

In order to avoid the said disadvantages, the body traverses disposed immediately fore and aft of the unobstructed center portion are interconnected in accordance with the present invention by two followers arranged in the vehicles longitudinal median plane and outside said center portion. The said followers serve for transmitting the traction and braking forces, but not any vertical bearing forces for which separate means are provided, as stated at the beginning. The arrangement may be such that only one follower or both are operative at one and the same time. Where, however, the arrangement is such that, on exerting a traction force, only the follower disposed aft of the bogie center becomes operative, the longitudinal forces acting on the bogie form a system of forces which is stable with respect to the bogie center. arrangement is particularly desirable from the point of view of quiet running. l Two embodiments and two modifications of the invention, as applied to a six-wheel bogie, are shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a first example, F ig2 shows the same in top plan view,

Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section on the broken line III-III of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 shows an end View of the first example, the motor and transmission and the axle having been omitted,

Fig. 5 illustrates a modification of the first example in a fragmentary longitudinal section,

Fig. 6 depicts a second modification of the first example in a fragmentary plan view,

Fig. '7 shows a second example in a fragmentary plan view,

Fig. 8 is a detail cross-section on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 2,

Fig. 9 is a detail plan view showing the longitudinal link between bogie frame and bolster structure,

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a bolster hanger pair, and

Fig. 11 is a view in direction of arrow A in Fig. 10.

'I'he bogie frame I is supported through helical springs 4 on axle-boxes 2 of driving-axles 3, the said boxes being vertically guided on frame I. Each axle 3 is driven by a motor 'I via a gearing 5 and 6, which motors are supported in frame I. 'Iransmission means (not shown in detail) transmit the rotation of the gears 6 on to the driving-axles 3. The entire drive set is arranged symmetrically with respect to the center crosssectional plane, the center motor being disposed directly above the center axle, whilst the two outside motors are disposed closer to the bogie center.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 8, the vehicle body 8 through its two side girders 9 and slide plates I0 is supported on a bolster swing structure. The latter comprises two spring packets II with bands I Ia and two cross-bars I2 which interconnect the respective ends of the springs II and which are suspended through lateral arms I2a and transversely-swingable hangers I3 from the bogie side girders I4 (FigsflO, 11) For the purpose of connecting the bolster structure lengthwise to the bogie frame I, two links I5 are provided, the ends of which are fitted with universally movable spherical bushes (Fig. 9). In such construction, the bolster swing structure I I-I 3 forms a closed rectangle leaving the bogie center portion unencumbered for accommodating the center wheel set together with the driving motor and the axle drive.

For the purpose of transmitting the traction forces and the braking forces between bogie and body, two vertical pins I6 are provided which are secured to the two bogie transoms I'I and, through spherical bushes I8 and slide blocks I9,

are engaged in transverse slots of the body traverses 2|. The pins I6 are capable of freely moving vertically in the spherical bushes I8 within range of the bolster spring play. These pins, therefore, do not transmit any vertical bearing forces between body and bogie. As shown in Figs. l-3, these pins are spaced such distance from the bogie center that the space enclosed by the bolster structure I I--I 3 is not encumbered by said pins, and the latter thus permit an unimpeded introduction and withdrawal of thecenter wheel set and the motor driving the same.

The two slide blocks I9 and their slots 2@ are so arranged relatively to each other that at any one time one only of the pins I6 is active in transmitting the longitudinally-acting forces. For such purpose, the two blocks I9 are spaced a distance a from those sides of the slots 20 which are remote from the bogie center, whilst on the opposite sides only so much play is provided as is required to prevent the blocks from jamming or binding. Owing to such arrangement, the traction forces always act on a point situated aft of the bogie center, and the braking forces on a point situated fore of the bogie center. The forces acting longitudinally on the bogie then always form a stable system of forces. To elucidate these conditions, the longitudinal bogie-engaging forces ZS and Zk have been plotted in Fig. 3 under the assumption that the vehicle moves in direction of the arrow F and is drawn, i. e. the brakes are inactive. The said stability of forces is very desirable with regard to a quiet running of the vehicle.

In the example just described with reference to Figs. 1-4, the two body traverses 2l are disposed underneath the bogie transoms I7 so that the longitudinal forces act at a point which is depressed as much as possible.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the body traverse 22 is disposed above the bogie transom 23, and the two pins I6 are secured to the body traverses 22. The clearance a between the slide block and slot edge in this case is provided on the side nearer the bogie center, in order to again render possible the above mentioned stability of forces. Here also, an arrow indicates the direction of the force exerted on the bogie.

A modication of the rst example is illustrated in Fig. 6 and comprises circularly-curved slot tracks 25 in the body traverses 2id for the pins 21 and their block shoes 28. This arrangement is suitable in cases where the vehicle has to run through relatively narrow high-degree curves, i. e. where the bogie is swiveled with respect to the vehicle body through greater angles, whilst the amplitudes of the body transverse oscillations hardly vary.

In the second example shown in plan in Fig. 7, the bogie and the bolster structure are built similarly as in the rst example illustrated in Figs. 1-4, and, therefore, are not shown in Fig. 7. The longitudinal forces acting between bogie and body in this case, however, are transmitted in a different manner in that rubber elements 32 are inserted between the slide blocks 3l and the walls a, 30D of the body traverses 30. In the position of rest, the said elements are prestressed. In this arrangement also, of course, the two pins 36 are freely movable vertically in the slide blocks 3|, i. e. they do not transmit any bearing forces from the body on to the bogie. When transmitting traction or braking forces, the elements 32 are resiliently deformed, and the force to be rtransmitted is distributed to the two pins 36 approximately in equal rates. Such distribution permits, in contra-distinction to the arrangement shown in the iirst example, to make the body traverses 3B lighter. Since, on the other hand, the traction-force resultant no longer is applied aft of the bogie center but in the latter, the above-mentioned advantage of the stability of the system of longitudinal forces is lost in this case.

In order to strike a compromise between these opposing properties, the second example could be arranged so that the rubber elements on the side of the bogie center preliminarily are compressed to a higher degree than the two other rubber elements 32, for example to such degree as to just eliminate the diierence in precompression of the said elements in one of the body traverses when transmitting the average traction force, whilst when transmitting traction forces greater than the average traction force, this side also has to accommodate part of the longitudinal forces.

The rubber elements 32 further may be used for damping the lateral oscillations of the vehicle body, by aixing the said elements to the walls 30a, 30h of the body traverses 30 and to the slide blocks 3|.

What we claim is:

l. In a rail vehicle having a multi-axle bogie, a vehicle body, and a bolster swing structure supporting the vehicle body and suspended on the bogie-frame, said bolster swing structure including opposite longitudinal springs, and cross bars interconnecting the spring ends and transversely extending at either side of the central portion of the bogie so as to leave said central portion unobstructed, said vehicle body having two traverses extending on either side of said central portion of the bogie, the bogie frame having two transoms also extending on either side of said central portion of the bogie, and two followers each interconnecting one of said body traverses with one of said bogie transoms for transmission of traction and braking forces from the bogie frame to the vehicle body, said followers being situated in the longitudinal middle plane of the vehicle and said interconnected body traverses and bogie frame transoms being arranged in substantially superposed relationship so as to leave an open space free from structural components of the bogie at said central portion of the bogie.

2. A rail vehicle as set out in claim 1, in which each follower means is constituted by a vertical pin rigidly secured to one of said body traverses and movably engaged in a slot disposed in the respective body transom and crosswise of the vehicles longitudinal axis, the pins being freely movably vertically in the slots.

3. A rail vehicle as set out in claim 2, in which the two pins are rigidly secured in the body traverses, and the slots are disposed in the respective Vbogie transoms.

4. A rail vehicle as set out in claim 2, in which at least one side of the slots forms a surface portion of a circular cylinder of which the axis is disposed in the 'bogie center.

5. A rail vehicle as set out in claim 2, in which a rubber cushion is inserted between each vertical pin and those slot slide faces which stand at right angles to the vehicles longitudinal axis so as to permit to transmit the longitudinal forces elastically and simultaneously through both pins.

6. A rail vehicle as set out in claim 2, in which the two pins are rigidly xed in the bogie transoms and the slots are disposed in the body tran- 5 soms, the latter being situated underneath the bogie transoms.

7. A rail vehicle as set out in claim 16, in which such spacing is provided between each vertical pin and the slot side remote from the bogie center that the longitudinal forces always are transmitted through one of the two pins and through the slot side adjacent the bogie center so that in transmitting traction forces the point of application thereof always is situated aft of the bogie center and in transmitting braking forces always is situated fore of the bogie center, the longitudinal forces applied to the bogie thus forming a stable system of forces.

8. In a rail vehicle of the multi-axle pluralbogie type comprising a, vehicle body having two spaced tie traverse for each bogie, each bogie having a tie traverse both fore and aft of a bogie middle portion, the bogie traverses being disposed vertically below the body traverses, and a swing bolster supporting the body from each bogie and arranged to leave unobstructed the bogie middle portion for accommodating other structural components, the improvement defined by the provision of two vertical follower pins in each bogie, the said pins being rigidly secured to the body traverses and movably engaged in slots disposed in the bogie traverses so as not to encroach on the bogie middle portion and to transmit only traction and braking forces, and by the provision of such spacing between each follower pin and the slot side adjacent the bogie center that the said forces always are transmitted through one of the two pins and through the slot side remote from the bogie center; the whole in such arrangement that in transmitting traction forces the point of application thereof always is situated aft of the bogie center and in Cil 6 transmitting braking forces always is situated fore of the bogie center, the forces acting longitudinally on the bogie thus forming a stable system of forces.

9. In a rail vehicle of the multi-axle pluralbogie type comprising a vehicle body having two spaced tie traverses for each bogie, each bogie having a tie traverse both fore and aft of a bogie middle portion, the bogie traverses being disposed vertically below the body traverses, and a swing bolster supporting the body from each bogie and arranged to leave unobstructed the bogie middle portion for accommodating other structral com ponents, the improvement defined by the provision of two vertical follower pins in each bogie. the said pins being rigidly secured to the body traverses and movably engaged in slots disposed in the bogie traverses so as not to encroach on the bogie middle portion and to transmit only traction and braking forces, and by the provision of a rubber cushion between each vertical'pin and those slot faces which stand at right angles to the vehicles longitudinal axis so as to transmit the longitudinal forces elastically and simultaneously through both pins, the cushions adjacent the bogie center being precompressed to a higher degree than the other two cushions.

GASTON BORGEAUD. JAKOB WALDVOGEL.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 431,543 Barnes July 8, 1890 1,149,181 Burnett 1 Aug. 10, 1915 2,530,495 Waldvogel 1 Nov. 21, 1950 

